Maybe you meant to start shaping up back in January, but it didn’t happen. Now, with summer around the corner and the longer days giving you more time for a workout, you might be wondering about the best way to get going on your exercise routine.
For those of us who need to shed a few pounds to achieve our healthy body weight, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Write it down to drop a pound:
Write your goals down and re-read them regularly. Keep them somewhere in plain view like on your bathroom mirror, on your fridge or as the screensaver on your phone.
Know your number:
Be safe while losing weight. Understandably, you want fast results, but it’s important to understand how many calories you need daily based on your age, sex, height and overall lifestyle. Cutting too many calories and losing too much weight too fast can undermine your health goals.
Don’t restrict yourself:
Allowing yourself to indulge from time to time can actually help you stay on track. Love burgers for example? Consider keeping calories in check by skipping the cheese and loading it with your favourite vegetable toppings, like lettuce, onions and tomato.
Get moving:
It’s tempting to see quick results, but working out too intensely, particularly if you’ve gone from couch potato to fitness fanatic, could put you at risk for injury. If you are a beginner, start with less intense exercises such as brisk walks and go from there. For the more experienced athletes, try adding new activities to rev up results.
Start now:
Within one month of healthy eating and regular exercise, you can start to see an improvement in energy levels, a moderate amount of weight loss and some increases in muscle tone.
